10,000+ Encircled the White House to Fight the Keystone XL Pipeline

Protesters carry an inflatable Keystone Xl pipeline around the White House during the Nov. 6th rally. (Photo: Marine Jaouen)

Yesterday, my 9-year-old daughter, Ava, and I joined 10,000 others from around the country to encircle the White House in a show of solidarity to oppose the massive Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

After gathering with fellow NWFers to form our link in the chain, Ava and I walked the perimeter to get a sense of scale—did we have enough to complete a ring around the White House? As we began to walk, we were overwhelmed.

“I had no idea there would be this many people, Mommy,” Ava said, with wide eyes and open ears, hearing chants and songs that she couldn’t make sense of, but that she knew excited people and made them smile and cheer and dance.

And when I saw that in some places, the circle was three lines deep, and a sea of people in orange vests dotted the streets, I felt tears well up—imagine all these people caring about an issue that we knew from day one spelled trouble and needed to be raised to the national stage.

“Now I know what you do, Mommy. Now I know what you have been talking about for two years.”

I hope you will feel equally moved by the testimonials and images that captured yesterday’s rally.

The author, Felice Stadler and her daughter, Ava, at the Keystone XL rally on Nov. 6.